Int'l Day for Dialogue among Civilizations celebrated with cultural forum in Athens
Held at the University of Athens School of Philosophy, the event "Ancient Capitals Dialogue" brought together officials, scholars, cultural heritage experts and young professionals from China, Greece and other countries to explore the role of ancient civilizations in promoting mutual understanding, peace, and sustainable development.
UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture Ernesto Ottone Ramirez said in a video address that cultural heritage goes beyond monuments and includes ideas, values, and ways of life. He noted that "the coexistence of ancient traditions and a shared future is not only possible but essential," describing the dialogue as reflecting "a shared desire to transcend boundaries and build new models of cooperation."
Dimitrios Drosos, dean of the host university's philosophy school, said Greece and China share a deep mutual respect for each other's cultural legacies and a commitment to preserving wisdom and beauty across time. "This dialogue offers a rare opportunity to trace the deeper links between civilizations," he said.
Xiong Chengyu, chair of the Ancient Capitals Dialogue and professor at the Communication University of China (CUC), said global and sustainable cultural communication is key to shared civilizational prosperity.
Zhang Shuting, president of CUC, said the Parthenon and the Old Summer Palace represent the enduring spiritual resonance of Greek and Chinese civilizations. "Civilization is not only a legacy of the past, but also a force for future development," he said. "Only through dialogue can we plant the seeds of peace through mutual cultural understanding."
Over a dozen academic institutions, including the University of Crete, the University of Athens, Tsinghua University, and the Central Academy of Drama, took part in panel discussions focusing on topics ranging from Sino-Greek philosophy and education to digital heritage preservation and comparative urban aesthetics.
Cultural institutions from China and Greece also signed cooperation agreements on joint heritage preservation and communication, including efforts to establish the Parthenon and the Old Summer Palace as "sister heritage sites." A multimedia exhibition titled "Memory and Regeneration of the Old Summer Palace" was unveiled at the University of Athens, the first time it has been displayed in Greece.
The Ancient Capitals Dialogue is co-organized by the Communication University of China and the University of Athens. Launched in 2022, it has previously been held in cities including Paris and Jaipur.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
China asserts final say in Dalai Lama reincarnation
BEIJING: The discovery of the next Dalai Lama will be carried out by the Chinese government, and not under the current Dalai Lama's directions, a Chinese Communist Party committee official for Tibet said on Tuesday. China considers theDalai Lama a separatist and wants to bring Tibetan Buddhism but the Dalai Lama and his huge following have been obstacles to that ambition. At his 90th birthday celebration last month, he followers that he would be reincarnated, and a non-profit institution he has set up will have the sole authority to identify his reincarnation. But Gama Cedain, the deputy secretary of the Chinese Communist Party committee in Tibet, said the Dalai Lama's reincarnation would be found using a domestic search and approval by the central government. 'The central government has the indisputable final say in the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama,' he told reporters at a press conference about the socioeconomic development in Tibet. He said that was the creed devotees adhered to, and the government's process follows the strict religious rituals and historical customs of the reincarnation of living Buddhas. 'The reincarnation has never been decided by the Dalai Lama himself,' he said. The current Dalai Lama, 14th in the line of spiritual leaders for Tibetan Buddhism, has said his reincarnation will be born outside China and ruled out Beijing's role in choosing his successor. China installed a Tibetan Buddhist monk picked by Beijing as the faith's No. 2 leader, the Panchen Lama, three decades ago after a six-year-old chosen by the Dalai Lama for the position disappeared in 1995. - Reuters
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Open channels at public varsities discriminate against financially-vulnerable students, says Dr Wee
KUALA LUMPUR: Open channels at public universities are discriminating against financially vulnerable students, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (BN-Ayer Hitam). He said this stemmed from the pressures on the universities that are forced to generate money, jeopardising the core purpose of the educational institutions. He added that public universities are struggling due to insufficient funding, receiving only about 61% of their requested budgets. 'I have spoken with some vice-chancellors, like Universiti Malaya, they said that they only get 61% of the requested fundings (from the government) making them use open channels to recruit students commercially,' he said, when debating the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) at the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Aug 5). He also said that while he supported any efforts by universities to get funding, he disagreed with the way the fees were being increased. Dr Wee also pointed out that while it was understandable that the bumiputra quota was available for foundation studies at public universities, the open channels had 'traded' the slots for money. 'It never crossed my mind that the bumiputra quota, that we always discuss about, was suddenly 'sold' by the universities. 'In the requirements (for foundation studies), the science foundation programme is only offered for bumiputra under the UPU channel. "But, with the open channel by universities, as long as one has money, it's possible,' he said, calling out the action. Dr Wee also pointed out the influx of international students, especially from China, which he said had surpassed the total number of local Chinese students in some public universities. He said that the public institutions should prioritise Malaysians over foreign students. 'So I ask for a balance to be restored. What is the objective of establishing a (public) university? For what purpose? '(It is) For the most advanced, smartest Malaysians — the crème de la crème. "Secondly, to enable social mobility through education, allowing even the poor to become professionals. That was the original objective of establishing a public university,' he said, however, supporting the internationalisation efforts of local universities.
New Straits Times
4 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Australia says foreign interference not tolerated after Chinese woman arrested
SYDNEY: Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Tuesday that Australia would not tolerate surveillance of its community by foreign governments, after a Chinese woman was charged with foreign interference and denied bail by a court. The woman, who has not entered a plea, appeared in court in Australia's capital Canberra on Monday after police charged her with "reckless foreign interference" for allegedly monitoring a Buddhist group in the city on behalf of a Chinese security agency. The court heard the woman's husband was a vice captain in a public security ministry in a Chinese province, and she had visited the Chinese consulate in Canberra in the days after her property was raided by police, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. In a series of television interviews on Tuesday, Wong said she couldn't comment on an individual case, but added Australia was taking a stand against foreign interference. "We do not tolerate harassment, intimidation, surveillance of Australians and we have a strong framework to deter foreign interference in our democracy," she said in an ABC radio interview. It is the third time charges have been brought under foreign interference laws introduced in Australia in 2018, and the first time a Chinese national has been charged under the legislation. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement the ministry "was not aware of the specifics of the case" but would closely follow developments and "safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its citizens." "China has never interfered in the internal affairs of other countries, and firmly opposes any attempts to disrupt normal people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between China and relevant countries under the pretext of 'foreign interference'," the spokesperson added. A court suppression order has prevented media reporting the woman's name. The woman, who is also a permanent resident of Australia, faces a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment if she is convicted, according to Australian Federal Police. Police allege the woman was tasked by a Public Security Bureau of China to covertly gather information about the Canberra branch of Guan Yin Citta, a Buddhist group.
